1s burned by Walthamstow

The 1s lost in agonising fashion at a scorching Buck Walk, as hosts Walthamstow recovered from 72-8 to chase down Brook’s score of 139 all out with one wicket to spare.

Number 9 Eshan Tanveer was the hero for Stow as he hit 39* and in tandem with Richard Lindsay (30) the pair batted sensibly, putting away the bad ball, as Brook’s bowling and fielding, so impressive for the first 25 overs, started to fade in the oppressive heat.

Earlier after winning the toss and electing to bat, only Brook skipper Shane Barwick (42) and Kane Messenger (30) came to grips with a difficult pitch which saw the ball skid on for the spin bowlers, who accounted for 9 of the 10 wickets to fall.

Brook’s inability to bat out the 50 overs spared Walthamstow another hour in the sun and although initially it looked as if the Goresbrook bowlers were in charge of the situation, the tables turned in the final 15 overs.

After Arul Gopalasamy dismissed home skipper Rory Knox with the first ball of the innings, Barwick impressed with 2-18 and with support from Billy Smith 2-28 and the excellent Messenger, who persevered in difficult conditions for the seam bowlers to take 4-42, plus some sharp catching, Brook looked to be on the way to victory as Stow lost 8 wickets with barely half their target on the board.

Tanveer and Lindsay had other ideas however and despite a nervy 10 minutes with the last pair at the crease after Messenger took a spectacular caught and bowled, Tanveer saw his side home, leaving Goresbrook in need of a win over table topping Leigh on Sea this week to avoid dropping well off the pace in Division Three.